Sounding-board for musical instruments



J. VIRZI. SOUNDING BOARD FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

a nuns-sum 1.

WITNESSES ,4 TTORNEYS J. VIIIZI. SOUNDING BOARD FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

1 APPLICATION FILED FEB. I2, 1920- 1,351,709. PatentedAug. 31,1920.

WITNESSES I TTORNEYS J. VIRZl. souunms BOARD ron MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12, I920- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- Patented Aug. 31,1920.

III III I a m 000 In 41 1 V V m m 1 M 5 "i W 3 w 1 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

JOSEPH VIBZI, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SOUNDING-BOARD FOB MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

This invention relates to musical instruments, but has particularreference to sounding boards for such instruments as violins, Violas,cellos, pianos or the like in whlch there is ordinarily used a soundingboard as a means amplif ing the sound vibrations.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide an auxiliary soundingboard arran ed in spaced relation to themain sounding oard of theinstrument and having the periphery thereof disconnected from all otherparts of the instrument.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new arrangement orcorrelation between the main and auxiliary sounding boards and theportion of the instrument over which the strings are stretched andcommonly known as the bridge.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention resides inthe novel features of construction hereinafter more fully set forth andclaimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1is a longitudinal central section of an instrument of the violin typehaving my improvement attached thereto within the Fig. 2 is a partialplan view and partial section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 showing the sameinvention.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 44 of Fig. 3. v

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified form of auxiliary sounding board.

Fig. 6- is a fragmentary longitudinal section of a violin indicating theform of sounding board such as shown in Fig. 5 attached thereto.

Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse section on the line 77 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal central section of a further modification.

Fig. 9 is a vertical transverse section of the same on the line 99.

Fig. 10 is a detail sectional view indicating a slight variation fromthe structure of Fi s. 8 and 9.

Fig. 11 is a rear elevation of a piano indicatlng my improvement.

Fig. 12 is a vertical sectional view of the same on the line 1212.

Figs. 13 and 14 are horizontal sections on the corresponding lines ofFig. 11.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, I indicate in Fig. l asounding board 15 constituting the to portion of the body of suchinstrument. is usual I indi- I cate a bass bar 16 secured against theinner surface of the sounding board 15 for strengthening and reinforcingthis portion of the instrument. 17 indicates the usual bridge over whichthe strings 18 are stretched from the tail-piece 19. As shown in Figs. 1to 4, my improved free sounding board is shown at 20, the same beingsupported upon the main sounding board 15 by means of two supports 21.These elements are shown best in Fig. 4, each comprising a sort of pinor short post fixed by any suitable means to the under surface of thesounding board 15 and also connected to the upper surface or portion ofthe auxiliary sounding board 20. The free sounding boards and theirconnections may be of any suitable material. These connections may beeffected by glue, metal fasteners or any other convenient means, andsuch fastening may be made more secure by employment of a tenonprojecting into corresponding mortises in the several parts. Two ofthese supports 21 are sufficient for holding the sounding board 20 inspaced relation to the main sounding board, the same being shaped so asto conform substantially to the convexity of the sounding board 15 andsubstantially parallel thereto. One of the principal features of thepresent improvement is to attach the auxiliary sounding board to themain sounding board by means in alinement with the beneath the bridge.The fastenmg means may be dowel pins, but preferably it is glue. Asshown best in. Fig. 7 the lateral edge portions of the sounding board 20are free from the main sounding board as well as from the bass bar 16.

Tu my extensive experimenting and experience in the manufacture ofmusical instruments l have found that the particular manner or place ofattaching the free sounding board is not essential and hence as afurther variation from the forms and means for attachment above setforth, the sounding board 20 may be secured directly to that ortion ofthe bass bar 16 that lies just within the bridge 17 leaving the endportions as Well as the lateral portions free from all other parts. InFig. the attachment between the sounding board 20 and the bass barincludes a dowel 23.

Referring now to the adaptation of my invention to a piano having anyusual or approved sounding board 25, to which is fixed a bridge 26, llshow my improvement in the nature of an auxiliary sounding board 20having a general curvature corresponding to the compound curvature ofthe bridge 26 but located on the opposite side of the sounding boardfrom the bridge 26. The two sounding boards are spaced from each otherand the spacing means comprises a series of supports 21 following thecourse of the bridge 26, so that the main connecting means between thesounding boards may be said to be in alinement with the bridge. Thesupports 21 are not only spacers between the two sounding boards butconstitute the main m latrines supports for the auxiliary soundingboard. The attachment may be made efiective by any suitable means suchas glue or additional dowels 23 or the like. 23* are shown as extendingall the way through the supports and main sounding board and into orthrough the bridge and the auxiliary sounding board. As will beappreciated from Fig. 11 the main supports or osts 2P for the auxiliarysounding board fol ow closely the longitudinal median line from one endof the sounding board to the other. These posts may be the only supportsfor this member, but it may be preferable to employ additional posts 21along the side portions of the free sounding board but preferably not atthe extreme edges thereof, the edges being left free in all forms of theinvention 1 claim:

1. Tu a musical instrument, the combination with a sounding board and abridge on one side thereof, of an auxiliary sounding board on theopposite side of the main sounding board from the bridge, and meansextending between the sounding boards to support the auxiliary soundingboard leaving the periphery of the auxiliary sounding board free, saidsupporting means being in alinement with the bridge.

2. A. musical instrument of the nature set forth in claim 1 in which thesupporting means is in the nature of short posts with their endsfastened to both sounding boards.

. JOSEPH VTBZT.

These dowels

